4 
HAMILTON’S HAWKEYE SEEDS 
Hints for Ho 
e Gardeners 
PREPARING THE SOIL 
A rich sandy loam is well adapted to gardening. 
Other kinds of soil are suitable, but stiff clays 
need plenty of fibrous material and must be thor¬ 
oughly broken up. Sandy soils generally need 
additional fertilizing. 
When fertilizing is needed, well rotted stable 
manure is always beneficial, but it should be sup¬ 
plemented by commercial fertilizer containing a 
good percentage of phosphate and potash. Wood 
ashes may be applied liberally to most soils. For 
general use where manure is not available, a com¬ 
mercial fertilizer containing 4 per cent nitrates, 
12 per cent phosphate, and 4 to 6 per cent potash, 
is usually best. Apply at the rate of about 4 
pounds to the square rod. 
Work the soil deeply and make the top three 
or four inches as fine and loose as possible. Re¬ 
member that much weed killing can be done by 
hoeing or raking just before planting. Do not 
work clay soils when they are wet enough to stick 
to hoe or spade. 
PLANTING 
When planting seed, avoid disappointment and 
possible failure by means of: 
First—A constant and correct degree of mois¬ 
ture. The soil should always be moist, but never 
wet when avoidable. To retain moisture after 
planting, cover seed immediately with fine freshly 
prepared earth and press it down firmly and 
smoothly. This firming of the soil brings the par¬ 
ticles of earth into close contact with the seeds, 
prevents drying out, and facilitates growth. 
Second—The proper degree of heat. This is 
secured by planting when the atmospheric and 
soil temperatures are most favorable for germi¬ 
nation of kind of seed that is to be planted. The 
best temperature for each sort may be learned 
from careful study of our cultural directions and 
by inquiry among the successful gardeners in 
your neighborhood. 
Third—Covering the seed at the right depth. 
This varies with different kinds of seeds and con¬ 
ditions of soil and can be learned only through 
practical experience. 
Fourth—Proper condition of soil. It must be 
loose and soft so that the tender stems of seed¬ 
lings can easily emerge and the young roots 
quickly find plant food. This is usually secured 
by careful preparation of the soil and by not 
planting fine seeds when the ground is wet. 
CULTIVATING 
Stirring the surface soil during the period of 
growth kills weeds, loosens the ground so as to 
encourage root development, allows air to enter, 
and helps to conserve moisture. Cultivation may 
be deep at first, but as the plants grow it should 
be more shallow to avoid injury to the roots. 
STARTING PLANTS INDOORS 
Such vegetables as tomato, pepper, egg plant, 
and celery, and many of the flowers can be started 
indoors. Shallow wooden boxes three to four 
inches deep and convenient to handle are suitable 
for this purpose. Use rich, loose soil and plant 
the seed rows about two inches apart. Place the 
box in a well lighted window and keep the soil 
moist. As soon as the seedlings are a half inch 
tall, transplant to other boxes, setting them at 
least two inches apart each way. Give the plants 
plenty of sunlight and only moderate tempera¬ 
ture so that they will not become spindling. Be¬ 
fore setting in the garden, “harden off” the plants 
by placing the boxes outdoors on mild days, pro¬ 
tecting them at night until they are able to stand 
the weather without injury. 
HOTREDS 
You can gain time and have early vegetables at 
small cost by means of a hotbed. The construc¬ 
tion is simple, and the expense so slight that any 
gardener can provide one for himself. 
MANAGING THE HOTRED 
In using a hotbed the essentials for success 
are: 
1. Steady, uniform heat and moisture. 
2. Keeping the soil a few degrees warmer than 
the air above it. 
3. Careful “hardening off” before transplant¬ 
ing to the open air by gradual exposure to cooler 
temperature and by diminishing the supply of 
water. 
The greatest difficulty in accomplishing these 
three essentials, probably, is overheating the air 
in bright sunshine. Great care and watchfulness 
will be necessary to avoid it. 
Without experience one would scarcely believe 
how quickly the temperature in a well built hot¬ 
bed will rise to 90 or 100 degrees upon a still, 
sunny day, even when the temperature outside is 
far below freezing; or how quickly the tempera¬ 
ture will fall to that outside, if upon a windy, 
cloudy day the sash is left open ever so little. A 
rush of cold air driven over the plants is far more 
injurious than the same temperature when the 
air is still. Again, in cloudy weather, a bed can 
go several days without watering, but will dry up 
in an hour when open on a sunny day. 
TRANSPLANTING 
In transplanting, either outdoors or from the 
hotbed: 
Take care to avoid injury to the roots in taking 
up the plants. 
Set plants out as soon as possible to prevent 
air from coming in contact with the roots. 
Firm the soil around the plants so that they 
can take secure hold. 
Provide shade to keep the hot sun from with¬ 
ering and blighting the leaves. 
WATERING 
The best hours of the day to water plants are 
early morning or evening. The roots, however, 
may be watered at any time. One good soaking 
is better than many light sprinklings. 
COLD-FRAME 
A cold-frame is a simple construction of boards 
for wintering young plants, such as cabbage, let¬ 
tuce, cauliflower, etc., it is also useful to protect 
and harden off plants from the greenhouse or hot¬ 
bed before fully exposing them in the open air. 
Select a dry, southern exposure and make a 
frame from four to six feet wide and as long as 
required. The back should be fourteen to eight¬ 
een inches high and the front eight to twelve, 
with a cross-tie every three feet. The frame may 
be covered with sash or cloth. The soil should 
be well prepared and smoothly raked before 
planting. Admit air freely on pleasant days, but 
keep the frame closed in severe weather. 
